Norman Parke Clears Air With Reza Madadi After 15-Minute Battle

Norman Parke admitted that he played up the hype card ahead of his UFC Fight Night 76 bout with Reza Madadi Saturday to add some spice.

Parke, competing in front of his Irish fans, claimed a decision to improve to 22-4-1 overall. Madadi was making his return after an extended layoff due to a prison sentence.

“I wanted to add a little bit more spice to the fight,” he admitted. “I thought it would add some interest since the main and co-main events were lost.”

The card was scheduled to feature Dustin Poirier vs. Joseph Duffy and Stipe Miocic vs. Ben Rothwell, but injuries knocked both Duffy and Miocic out. That shifted the Parke-Madadi contest up to the co-main event role.

Despite all the trash-talk before, Parke stated that the two “made up after because sportsmanship is all that matters.”

Madadi was released in March after serving 14 months for being an accomplice in a robbery of a handbag store. Parke presented Madadi with a handbag after the two weighed in on Friday.